The Young and the Restless star Jeanne Cooper dies

Jeanne Cooper, the actress who played wealthy socialite Katherine Chancellor on the soap opera The Young and the Restless for 40 years, has died. She was 84.

Her son, actor Corbin Bernsen, made the announcement on his Facebook page and on Twitter.

"My mother passed away this morning just a short time ago, peaceful with my sister by her side, in her sleep," Bernsen wrote.

Cooper's character broke new ground by weaving storylines mirroring her own life in The Young and the Restless plotline. Katherine "Kay" Chancellor received a mid-1980s facelift, using footage from Cooper's actual procedure and her character's battles with alcoholism were something Cooper went through as well.

The much-married Chancellor also crossed over to another daytime soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, for two episodes in 2005.

Cooper's career began in the 1950s with a role in the Western The Redhead from Wyoming.

She then launched into a long string of roles on TV, including NBC's Tales of Wells Fargo and CBS' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater and multiple appearances on Perry Mason, The Big Valley and Ironside.

Jeanne Cooper, center, gets a kiss from sons Corbin Bernsen, left, and Collin Bernsen at the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008. (Dan Steinberg/Associated Press)

She appeared in dramas such as The Adventures of Kit Carson, Cheyenne and Wagon Train.

More recently she made TV appearances in Gentle Ben, Touched By an Angel and L.A. Law, where she appeared beside Bernsen. She remained with The Young and the Restless from 1973 until this year.

In 1962, Cooper earned her first primetime Emmy nomination for her performance in Ben Casey and a second came in 1987 for L.A. Law. She was nominated nine times for a daytime Emmy in the role of Katherine "Kay" Chancellor and won in 2008, as well as being honoured with a lifetime achievement Emmy in 2004.

Cooper was married to TV producer Harry Bernsen, Jr. for 23 years before divorcing. They had three children, all of whom are actors: Corbin Bernsen, Collin Bernsen and Caren Bernsen.

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Robert Carsen on COC's Dialogues des Carmélites

The terror of the French Revolution unfolds onstage in Dialogues des Carmélites, the opera by Francis Poulenc to be performed by the Canadian Opera Company beginning Wednesday.

Canadian director Robert Carsen, renowned for his interpretations of opera, premiered this production in 1997 at Nederlandse Opera and took it to Lyric Opera of Chicago and La Scala in Milan before bringing it to Toronto with the COC.

Carsen has been a favourite at the COC, helming productions of Orfeo ed Euridice and Iphigenia in Tauris in the past few seasons. Born in Toronto, Carsen is in demand as a director around the world.

Based on historic events, Dialogues des Carmélites tells the story of an order of Carmelite nuns who debate whether to allow themselves to be martyrs during the French Revolution.

Canadian stars Isabel Bayrakdarian, Judith Forst and Adrianne Pieczonka are among the large cast singing Poulenc's haunting score. More than 100 supernumeraries (i.e. extras) have been recruited to play the frightening mob of revolutionaries.

Carsen told CBC News Poulenc wrote the opera based on a screenplay by Georges Bernanos, which was in turn based on the novel The Last on the Scaffold or Song at the Scaffold by German novelist Gertrud von Le Fort.

The power of the piece comes from clever story-telling and a balance of intellectual dialogue with deep emotion, Carsen says.

"Poulenc turns the tension up in each act," he said. "It's a very unusual style of writing in that each scene is a mini-drama in itself – they are closely connected dramatically in the music. I've never come across anything like it."

Dialogues des Carmélites plays until May 25 in Toronto.

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Nazi-themed Tannhauser opera nixed in Germany

A modern version of Richard Wagner's Tannhauser has been cancelled in Germany after the opening-night audience complained about scenes showing Jews being executed and dying in gas chambers.

A spokeswoman for Duesseldorf's opera house Deutsche Oper am Rhein said there would only be concert performances, without theatrical staging.

Monika Doll said the opera's director, Burkhard Kosminski, had refused to tone down the disputed scenes, even though the Holocaust-related parts prompted several in the audience on Saturday to leave mid-performance.

Inspired by a German legend, Wagner's Tannhauser tells the story of courtier-singer who, after being seduced into a life of sensual pleasures and hedonism by the goddess Venus, seeks to return home and find redemption with his Earthly love, Elisabeth.

In Kosminski's version, the overture reportedly features performers trapped in a transparent gas chamber and Venus as a Nazi officer. At one point, the titular main character, depicted as one of the goddess' SS henchmen, is forced to murder a family. In addition to negative audience reaction at last weekend's debut, some critics have lambasted the production and angry patrons reportedly confronted Kosminski at an opening night after-party. Community leaders have also expressed horror and outrage.

Wagner remains a controversial figure in Germany because of his anti-Semitic views. Adolf Hitler was an admirer, and playing Wagner's music is still considered a taboo in Israel.

Tannhauser was first performed in Dresden in 1845.

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Michael Jackson witness now says he was abused

A choreographer and television personality who was a key witness in Michael Jackson's successful defence against child molestation charges is seeking permission to file a claim against the singer's estate alleging the pop superstar sexually abused him as a child, court records and an attorney said.

Wade Robson was abused by Jackson during a seven-year period, the choreographer's attorney, Henry Gradstein, wrote in a statement Wednesday. The attorney said Robson, 30, suffered a breakdown last year but has not stated how much his client is seeking to recoup from Jackson's estate if a judge permits him to pursue his abuse allegations.

Details on Robson's accusations were filed under seal.

The molestation allegations have been fiercely denied by an attorney for Jackson's estate and the singer's criminal defence attorney, Thomas Mesereau Jr.

"Mr. Robson was one of my strongest witnesses in Michael Jackson's criminal trial," Mesereau said. "I called him to the stand at the beginning of the defence case and he was adamant that he had never been improperly touched or molested. This makes no sense."

Robson was the first defence witness during the 2005 trial that ended with Jackson's acquittal on molestation charges. He also spoke favourably about Jackson after the singer's death in June 2009.

"Last year, on a career trajectory that was off the charts, [Robson] collapsed under the stress and sexual trauma of what had happened to him for seven years as a child," Gradstein wrote in a statement that referred to Jackson as a sexual predator.

"There are significant legal issues involved in this case that have the potential to impact lives beyond just our client," he wrote.

Gradstein said he could not discuss specifics of the case, but he cited Robson's recent breakdown as the choreographer's reason for reversing his previous statements about Jackson. "As a result, he started intensive treatment which ultimately led to his ability to come forward," Gradstein said.

Robson, an Australian-born choreographer, has appeared on the Fox series So You Think You Can Dance and worked with Britney Spears and other stars.

Previously testified under oath

"Mr. Robson's claim is outrageous and pathetic," Jackson estate attorney Howard Weitzman wrote in a statement. "This is a young man who has testified at least twice under oath over the past 20 years and said in numerous interviews that Michael Jackson never did anything inappropriate to him or with him. Now, nearly four years after Michael has passed this sad and less than credible claim has been made. We are confident that the court will see this for what it is."

Robson's claim comes nearly four years after the death of Michael Jackson. (Joel Ryan/Associated Press)

Gradstein filed a motion seeking permission to file a late creditor's claim against Jackson's estate on May 1, nearly four years after the singer's death, court records show. Most of the documents are sealed pending a June court hearing, but a summary of the documents states the choreographer includes a declaration from a psychiatrist and an "Unfiled Complaint for Childhood Sexual Abuse."

The period for filing claims against Jackson's estate has long since passed, but a California civil statute allows victims of abuse to file a lawsuit within three years of discovering "that psychological injury or illness ... was caused by the sexual abuse."

The judge overseeing Jackson's massive probate case will have to determine whether Robson's claim can go forward.

Gradstein's statement did not address any specifics about when or where Jackson's alleged molestation occurred, but the choreographer testified extensively in 2005 about the time he spent with Jackson.

"Wade Robson, in addition to being one of the most talented people on the planet, is one of the kindest, most gentle, decent and introspective human beings one will ever meet. He is the loving father of a young son and happily married," Gradstein wrote in a statement first obtained by celebrity website TMZ.

His claim was filed nearly eight years to the day after Robson testified Jackson never inappropriately touched him. He was 22 at the time he testified, telling jurors in Jackson's criminal case that he met Jackson when he was 5 years old and had spent the night at Jackson's Neverland Ranch more than 20 times, sleeping in the singer's bedroom on most visits.

During the trial, Robson bristled at testimony by other witnesses that they had seen Jackson molest him. "I'm very mad about it," he told jurors. "It's not true and they put my name through the dirt. I'm really not happy about it."

Accusation comes during civil trial

The claims come as Jackson's mother, who supported her son throughout the molestation trial in Santa Maria, Calif., is in a Los Angeles courtroom pursuing a negligent hiring case against the promoter of Jackson's planned series of comeback concerts.

Katherine Jackson has not addressed Robson's allegations, and her attorney, Perry Sander Jr., said Mesereau was the appropriate person to comment on the molestation claims.

Marvin S. Putnam, an attorney for concert promoter AEG Live LLC, said he wasn't familiar with the specifics of Robson's claims but doubted it would come up in the civil trial filed by Jackson's mother. "I don't see how it has anything to do with our case," he said.

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Visual effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen dies

Ray Harryhausen, a pioneer of visual effects and stop-motion animation who influenced a generation of animators, has died. He was 92.

His family announced that he died Tuesday at Hammersmith Hospital in London.

Harryhausen worked in both the U.S. and U.K., with his films such as Mighty Joe Young, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts lauded for their creative use of visual effects.

'What we do now digitally with computers, Ray did digitally long before but without computers'— Terry Gilliam

He was honoured with a special Oscar — the Gordon E. Sawyer Award — in 1992, and was presented a special award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts on his 90th birthday.

"What we do now digitally with computers, Ray did digitally long before, but without computers. Only with his digits," director Terry Gilliam tweeted of Harryhausen's work.

Blended animated models with live action

A generation of animators grew up on his films, from 1955's It Came From Beneath the Sea to the 1981's Clash of the Titans. George Lucas, Peter Jackson, Nick Park and James Cameron all studied his techniques, which combined animated models with live action figures.

An illustration for an unidentified Ray Harryhausen film shows a winged dinosaur dragging away a caveman. He combined animated models with live action figures to create fantastical scenes. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

"I think all of us who are practitioners in the arts of science fiction and fantasy movies now all feel that we're standing on the shoulders of a giant," Titanic director Cameron said of Harryhausen.

"If not for Ray's contribution to the collective dreamscape, we wouldn't be who we are."

Born June 19, 1920 in Los Angeles, Harryhausen was the great-grandson of African explorer David Livingstone.

As a 13-year-old, he was awed by Willis H. O'Brien's stop-motion photography in 1933's King Kong and his film The Lost World, a stop-motion movie about dinosaurs in a South American jungle.

"I always remember the dinosaur falling off the cliff," he remarked at a Vancouver animation and effects convention in 2001.

"That stuck in my mind for years."

His first movie industry job entailed working on George Pal's Puppetoons shorts for Paramount. During the Second World War, he made a series of Puppetoons-inspired shorts for the military, working in Frank Capra's film unit.

After the war, he made stop-motion versions of fairy tales that brought him to O'Brien's attention. He later collaborated with his hero on 1949's Mighty Joe Young, which won an Academy Award for visual effects.

Innovative filmmaker

Warner Bros. then hired Harryhausen to create the special effects for The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, but with a budget so small that he was forced to improvise. He developed a technique called "split-screen" — rear projection on overlapping miniature screens — to insert dinosaurs and other fantastic beasts into real-world backgrounds.

He later created effects for The Mysterious Island and The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, using an innovative mix of split-screen and animated models.

"Ray did so much and influenced so many people," said his friend and biographer Tony Dalton.

Harryhausen had a "wonderfully funny, brilliant sense of humour" and loved Laurel and Hardy, Dalton recalled about the filmmaker.

"His creatures were extraordinary, and his imagination was boundless."

His most popular film is 1963's Jason and the Argonauts, which includes the exciting, famed scene of fighting skeletons, painstakingly created with stop-motion animation and live-action actors Todd Armstrong and Nancy Kovack.

Harryhausen's dinosaur movies include the Hammer Films productions One Million Years B.C. and The Valley of Gwangi. He returned to the story of Sinbad in 1973's The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and 1977's Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. His final film was Clash of the Titans, featuring Laurence Olivier and Claire Bloom.

The Ray & Diana Harryhausen Foundation, a charitable trust set up by the filmmaker in 1986, is devoted to the protection of his name and body of work, as well as the archiving, preservation and restoration of his extensive collection of models.

With files from the Associated Press

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As I Lay Dying singer accused of plotting to kill wife

The lead singer of Grammy-nominated heavy metal band As I Lay Dying was arrested Tuesday in Southern California as authorities said he tried to hire an undercover detective to kill his estranged wife.

Tim Lambesis, 32, was arrested at a retail business in Oceanside, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

The statement said detectives received information Thursday that Lambesis had solicited someone to kill his wife, who lives in nearby Encinitas. A task force from several law enforcement agencies quickly launched an investigation that led to the arrest.

The department would give no further details on the investigation.

As I Lay Dying formed in San Diego in 2000 and has released six albums including 2007's An Ocean Between Us, which reached No. 8 on Billboard's charts. A track from the album was nominated for a Grammy for top metal performance.

It was not clear whether Lambesis had hired an attorney, and a phone message seeking comment left at a number listed in his name was not immediately returned.

According to its website, the band is scheduled to tour the country with several other metal acts starting later this month.

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Julie Payette on Hollywood's space stories

Canadian astronaut Julie Payette is a sci-fi fan who usually cuts space movies some slack in terms of plausibility. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press)

When Hollywood sends gritty miners to alien planets or blue collar oil-rig workers into space, it doesn't bother Canadian astronaut Julie Payette. "It's when the laws of physics are completely broken... then I'm a bit of a critic," she said, laughing.

Payette plans to discuss realism and implausibility in moviedom's depictions of space, science and technology as well as the teamwork and resilience of astronauts on Wednesday in Toronto, at a special screening of Ron Howard's Apollo 13. It's part of an ongoing TIFF Lightbox series matching memorable films and related experts.

Moonraker was a film that got under the skin of Montreal-born Payette, who flew in missions aboard the space shuttles Discovery and Endeavour and was the first Canadian astronaut to help construct the International Space Station.

"It's totally impossible!" she recalled repeatedly telling her son, who was watching the James Bond classic alongside her. His response? "Mama, it's a movie!"

TIFF's choice of Apollo 13 is fitting since it was TV coverage of the Apollo missions that inspired a young Payette (and others of her generation) to become astronauts, she said.

"It's hard to portray, but Apollo 13 is about as close as it gets [to reality]... They even went as far as using an airplane to create a few seconds of floating" for the actors, Payette pointed out. The true weightlessness of space is a marvel that's nearly impossible to replicate on Earth and which Hollywood has trouble portraying accurately, she added.

That said, she usually tries to cut filmmakers some slack. Payette and her NASA colleagues just laughed, for instance, when Michael Bay's Armageddon depicted a band of misfit oil drillers sent into space to save the world after brainy astronauts fail.

Though she's got her own impressive story, the humble Payette says she can't imagine a movie being made about her life, let alone who might play her in the hypothetical biopic. She'd much rather see a film made about Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, she said.

Still, the self-described sci-fi aficionado says she might consider making a cameo appearance, given the right project.

"I'm excited that Star Wars is being revived again," Payette admitted.

She's also a Star Trek fan. "I'd love to serve on the Enterprise," she added, laughing.

TIFF Lightbox continues its special subscription series Books on Film, Food on Film and Science on Film through May and June, with experts including Law & Order: SVU producer Ted Kotcheff (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz), filmmaker Deepa Mehta (Midnight's Children), food activist Anita Stewart (Food Inc.) and science-fiction author Robert Charles Wilson (Forbidden Planet).

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Top 5 books hitting the big screen this season

Director Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby adaptation starts playing in Canadian movie theatres this Friday. But that's not the only book adaptation set to hit the big screen this summer. Here is a list of our top five movies that you can see this summer based on books:

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Release date: August 23, 2013

Starring Lily Collins as protagonist Clary Fray, the adventure flick is based on the first novel from Cassandra Clare's The Moral Instruments series. The series' six books chronicle Fray's journey as she goes from ordinary teenager to other worldly creature.

2 Guns

Release date: August 2, 2013

Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington star in this graphic-novel adaptation. Steven Grant's book of the same name follows two men who attempt to steal rob a bank of some mob money. But, neither knows the other is a cop or that the money is actually $50 million belonging to the CIA.

World War Z

Release date: June 21, 2013

The book version of World War Z comes from author Max Brooks three years after the wrote The Zombie Survival Guide. His book reads as personal accounts from across the world of a decade long war against zombies. In the movie, Brad Pitt plays a United Nations employee racing to stop the impending zombie apocalypse.

The Host

Release date: March 29, 2013

From the Twilight Saga's Stephenie Meyer comes The Host featuring another love triangle. This time, Melanie Stryder lives in a world where humans risk having their bodies possessed by unseen enemies who take over their minds. When Stryder's body becomes host to another, she refuses to let go and fights to keep the memory of her former love alive. Ultimately, Melanie and her occupant embark on a journey to find their beloved human.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Release date: May 17, 2013

Mohsin Hamid's book The Reluctant Fundamentalist follows the journey of an American-Pakistani man following the Sept. 11 attacks. Changez, a successful Wall Street finance worker, finds he feels increasingly isolated in the States after the attacks. He struggles to reconcile his American and Pakistan identities in a world where both cultures make increased demands of him.

What adaptations are you most excited to see or are intrigued by? Let us know in the comments below.

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Abba permanent exhibit opens in Stockholm

Abba fever has struck Stockholm anew, as a long-awaited museum exhibit devoted to the Swedish pop legends and featuring a host of interactive exhibits officially opens its doors in the city centre.

The heart of the new Swedish Music Hall of Fame, the permanent Abba exhibit offers an immersive and nostalgic experience into the lives of the pop quartet — an international phenomenon that sold 400 million records and racked up myriad hits during its heyday from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s.

Abba member Bjorn Ulvaeus has helped keep the group in the spotlight in recent decades, including by serving as a producer on the wildly successful musical Mamma Mia and his work on the museum exhibit, which is based on a show that opened in London in 2009 and travelled to international locations.

Though Ulvaeus admitted to initially worrying that an Abba museum would turn the 1974 Eurovision song contest-winning group into "artifacts and relics," he soon changed his mind.

"You need some distance, you need perspective to be able to tell a story like that and I guess you can say that we have perspective now, 30 years on," Ulvaeus told reporters at a press preview Monday.

Visitors can sing, dance, pose like Abba

Gold and platinum records, a flurry of archival documents, audio interviews with each member, a range of eclectic paraphernalia and the shimmering costumes worn by Ulvaeus and bandmates Anni Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Faltskog are just the beginning.

Visitors can venture into re-created sets, including the band's kitchen, the cabin where they composed their songs, the park spaces where Ulvaeus and Andersson first met and the group's recording studio. The latter features a player piano connected to one in Andersson's current music studio so that when he plays his, the museum's also plays along.

Brave fans can get a taste of performance: "auditioning" to be a fifth member of the band by singing hits such as Dancing Queen or Mamma Mia, karaoke-style, alongside holograms of the band (footage of which can be downloaded). Those so inclined can practice disco-era moves on a 1970s-era dance floor or sit inside the bubble-like chopper featured on the cover of the 1976 Abba album Arrival.

The rare museumgoer might even have a chance to chat with Abba via a special telephone — inspired by the track Ring, Ring — that's been installed in one corner of the museum. Only the four band members have the number for the phone and each has pledged to call it occasionally to chat with visitors.

Reunion rumours squashed

The display also explores the days when the group — comprising two married couples who eventually divorced — drifted apart and formally disbanded.

On Monday, Ulvaeus rejected rumours that the quartet is planning to reunite for the opening — news that likely dismayed the scores of fans who had gathered outside the museum to glimpse the red-carpet attendees of an opening gala dinner.

"As you all know we have never reunited," he told media. "So I take this opportunity to say now we are not going to either."

With the new Abba addition, the museum is expected to draw thousands of visitors a year.

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Rihanna slammed as 'cyberbully' for shaming rude Instagrammer

CBC News Community team, from left to right: Andrew Yates, Lauren O'Neil, Andrea Bellamare, John Bowman (Not shown: Andrea Lee-Greenberg, on leave)

If you're part of the CBC News community, you're likely to meet one of us: we're the folks working to produce and promote your stories. Read more about us.

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Shania Twain announces new dates for Las Vegas show

After nearly a decade-long hiatus marred by burnout, a painful divorce and physical problems that affected her ability to sing, country superstar Shania Twain said she's finding her groove as a Las Vegas headliner.

On Monday, Twain announced 22 new show dates this fall for Shania: Still the One, a spectacle at a 4,300-seat Caesars Palace concert hall that includes two trained horses, a live band, and the 47-year-old Canadian beauty clad in sparkling bodysuits and thigh-high boots. She's also staging a run of 12 shows starting May 14.

"I couldn't be any happier," Twain told The Associated Press in a phone call from the Bahamas, where she lives between shows. "It turned out so beautifully and I'm so proud of it."

Twain made her debut in December at the Colosseum, home to fellow Canadian songstress Céline Dion, shortly after parading down the Las Vegas Strip on horseback. But perhaps more significant than her regal grand entrance amid a herd of 40 horses was that the five-time Grammy winner returned to performing at all.

Questioned returning to the stage

Since releasing the 1997 album Come on Over, which became the bestselling country album of all time, her life hit a feverish pace of road shows and promotions that continued even after the birth of her son in 2001.

After her Up! tour wrapped in 2004, it was unclear whether the new mom would ever be back.

"I had moments when I thought I never would, and I would've been OK with that," she said. "I love music and I'd never want to give up music, but did I ever want to put a production together and be on stage again?"

The singer known for Any Man of Mine and That Don't Impress Me struggled with muscular tension that made singing more difficult. And in 2008, she was thrust into an unwelcome spotlight by an alleged affair between her then-husband and producer, Robert "Mutt" Lange, and one of her best friends.

Since then, she married that friend's ex-husband, Frederic Thiebaud. They've found some sense of normalcy; Thiebaud coaches Twain's son in soccer, and she said the 11-year-old is a happy child.

'A new groove'

"You're never comfortable with what happened," she said of the failed marriage. But "you get to a stage where everything's just different now, you're now in a new groove, you're going in a new direction."

Twain opened her two-year residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in December. (Eric Jamison/Associated Press)

Though she said she was initially nervous about how the comeback residency would be received, it's sold out for each of its first 24 performances.

Free from the rigours of tour travel, the residency is "a dream performance scenario" that allows her to balance her roles as a mother and as a country superstar.

"Vegas is just a really good setup," she said. "It completely leaves me room to be the parent I want to be."

She said she's written enough songs to fill an album, but isn't ready to return to the studio just yet. Conceiving the elaborate show, with its backup dancers, pumped-in fragrances, and flying motorcycle, has taken up her creative juices for now.

"I'm doing one project at a time. I'll let the Vegas show settle in," Twain said. "I'm not in the spirit of juggling too many balls in the air at one time."

Tickets for shows between mid-October and mid-December go on sale Friday.

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Helen Mirren delivers royal tongue-lashing to noisy parade

A troupe of street drummers got a shock when Helen Mirren, dressed as Queen Elizabeth, emerged from a London theatre to berate them for disrupting her show.

Mirren is starring in The Audience, a drama by Peter Morgan about the weekly meetings between the Queen and Britain's prime ministers over her 60-year reign.

'Seeing Helen Mirren dressed as the Queen cussing and swearing and making you stop your parade — that's a new one.' —Mark McKenzie, parade organizer

Mirren told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that she used less-than-royal language in the rant during the intermission of Saturday's performance.

"I'm afraid there were a few 'thespian' words used," Mirren was quoted as saying Monday. "They got a very stern royal ticking off but I have to say they were very sweet and they stopped immediately.

"I felt rotten, but on the other hand they were destroying our performance so something had to be done."

The drummers were marching through London's West End to promote As One in the Park, a gay music festival being held later this month.

"Not much shocks you on the gay scene," parade organizer Mark McKenzie told the Telegraph. "But seeing Helen Mirren dressed as the Queen cussing and swearing and making you stop your parade — that's a new one."

Festival spokesman Mark Williams said organizers "are terribly upset if we caused her any distress. If she'd like to let her hair down and attend the festival she'd be more than welcome."

Helen Mirren won a best actress Oscar in 2007 for her portrayal of the Queen, and more recently has been playing Elizabeth in a London theatre production. She was not amused to have her performance disrupted and let the offenders know it in blunt language. (Reuters)

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Justin Bieber tackled on stage in Dubai

A member of the audience at Justin Bieber's second stage show in Dubai Sunday tackled the singer while he performed.

The Canadian pop sensation was at the piano during the final few minutes of his concert, when a youth ran onto the stage, past the security, and grabbed him from behind.

Bieber was able to extract himself, while security personnel dashed on to nab the attacker, who managed to knock over the piano.

Bieber carried on performing amid the mayhem, while security guards righted the piano.

The singer later tweeted: "Dubai. Nothing stops the show. 2 more to go." He next plays in Cape Town, South Africa.

The 19-year-old took a three-minute break after the on-stage fracas before returning to sing Boyfriend and then Baby.

His guitarist and musical director Dan Kanter later tweeted: "It wasn't a prank. Someone ran on stage during Believe and the piano got knocked off its platform. Everyone is fine. No need to worry!"

It was a rough 24 hours for Bieber, who turned up two hours and 20 minutes late for his second show in Dubai, the second night in a row he had a late start. The long wait during the Saturday concert had frustrated fans taking to Twitter to vent their anger.

The teen star has drawn attention for erratic behaviour as he tours Europe with the Believe tour.

He walked through an airport with his shirt off in Poland, evaded airport security in Turkey and upset Anne Frank fans with an inappropriate comment in the guest book of Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.

The Canadian singer wrote: "Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber."

The museum defended the star for his interest in the museum but added his comment "wasn't very sensible."

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Historic Cape Dorset prints up for auction

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Rita MacNeil memorial concert to draw full house

A memorial concert for Rita MacNeil planned for Monday night is expected to draw a full house at Sydney's Centre 200.

About 5,000 tickets have been sold for Monday's concert set to begin at 7:30 p.m. AT.

For anyone who can't attend the concert in person, there are plans to stream the event online at www.ritamacneil.com. There will also be a link on the stream for people to donate to the scholarship fund in MacNeil's name

The acclaimed Cape Breton singer/songwriter died unexpectedly last month following complications from surgery after a recurring infection. She was 68.

Joella Foulds, MacNeil's long-time friend and colleague, is one of the organizers of the event.

"I think Rita touched hearts all over this country and beyond and so many people felt close to her, even if she didn't actually know them, because her songs touched them in a very personal way," she said.

Foulds said people want and need a chance to say their goodbyes.

The ticket price was kept low — just $10 — to keep the concert accessible to all.

As for the musical lineup set to perform, Foulds is keeping that under wraps.

"I can tell you there will be a lot of performers, but I am not going to tell you any names, because we said from the beginning that, in Rita's words, that was 'part of the mystery,'" she said.

Foulds said the show is about MacNeil, not about who is on stage.

"It's about all of us paying tribute to her, and so it doesn't really matter who's on that stage," she said. "You can be sure that because she has such an amazing career and has worked with so many great people that there will be lots of wonderful performances, but people are not coming to be recognized for themselves. They are coming to honour Rita."

Proceeds from the "Home I'll Be: Remembering Rita" concert will go toward a scholarship in her name. The scholarship will benefit Cape Breton University's newly announced Bachelor of Arts in community studies, four-year music major.

For anyone who can't attend the concert in person, there are plans to stream the event online at www.ritamacneil.com. There will also be a link on the stream for people to donate to the scholarship fund in MacNeil's name

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Chris Hadfield to lead huge singalong from space today

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International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield will lead a high-tech concert Monday, joining thousands of young voices from around the world — with his own voice from space.

Students, musicians and other participants across Canada and as far away as Singapore and Australia will sing along with Hadfield, belting out ISS — Is Somebody Singing, the song Hadfield co-wrote with Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies, to celebrate the ninth edition Music Monday, an annual celebration put on by the Coalition for Music Education.

This year, the event is a partnership with CBC Music and the Canadian Space Agency, and will be broadcast live on CBC and the Canadian Space Agency website starting at noon ET.

The concert will be Hadfield's final live link from the space station before he returns to Earth on May 13.

ISS — Is Somebody Singing? was commissioned by CBCMusic.ca and the Coalition for Music Education.

The Coalition for Music Education is a non-profit organization that promotes the benefits of music education for young people. The group says it created Music Monday to "celebrate the galvanizing power of music and demonstrate how that power is rooted in school music programs."

Watch the concert LIVE at noon ET.

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Reese Witherspoon arrest video leaked

Amid actress Reese Witherspoon's latest bout of damage control over her recent disorderly conduct arrest, video of the heated incident with an Atlanta state trooper has emerged.

Georgia State Patrol said on Friday it would release the video after a copy of the footage was leaked by celebrity website TMZ overnight.

The video in question was captured by the dashboard camera of the state trooper who confronted Oscar-winning Walk the Line star and her Hollywood agent husband Jim Toth in the early hours of April 19 in Atlanta.

Reese Witherspoon, left, and husband James Toth are seen in this composite photo from the Atlanta Department of Corrections after the Oscar-winner was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge. (City of Atlanta Department of Corrections/Associated Press)

After stopping the couple's vehicle, the no-nonsense trooper administers a field sobriety test to Toth. In the video, the actress is seen repeatedly ignoring the officer's directive to remain in their vehicle and engages with him multiple times.

At one point, she declares "Do you know my name?" before adding "You're about to find out who I am."

After the incident, Witherspoon issued a public apology for her behaviour.

On Thursday, she appeared on ABC-TV's Good Morning America to apologize again and acknowledged that after having had too much to drink that night, she had said "all kinds of crazy things."

Also on Friday, a lawyer for the actress confirmed Witherspoon has pleaded no contest to the disorderly conduct charge and paid a $100 US fine.

Canadian singer Michael Bublé, who sings a duet with Witherspoon on his latest album To Be Loved, is among those defending the actress. Earlier this week, at an event in Los Angeles, Bublé said he "adores" Witherspoon and praised her response after the arrest.

"Everyone makes mistakes," he told ET Canada. "It's just a matter of, really, how you come back from them."

Reese Witherspoon is seen speaking to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, left, on Good Morning America on Thursday. (Ida Mae Astute/ABC/Associated Press) With files from The Associated Press

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Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman dies of liver failure after spider bite

Guitarist Jeff Hanneman, a founder of the U.S. heavy-metal band Slayer, has died at age 49 of liver failure after battling complications reportedly linked to a spider bite.

"Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM [Thursday] morning near his Southern California home," says a posting on the band's official website and Facebook page that gives cause of death as liver failure.

'Jeff Hanneman will always be a metal god.'—Rocker Andrew W.K.'s tweet

"Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest in Peace."

Slayer spokeswoman Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald said Hanneman died at a Los Angeles hospital with his wife by his side.

Hanneman had been slowly recovering from a spider bite in February 2011 that reportedly nearly cost him his arm.

Hanneman reportedly had contracted necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating disease, after the bite.

Bitten in hot tub by spider

In a late 2011 interview with Hanneman posted on the website Metal Injection and in other media, he said he was in a hot tub with a couple of beers when he noticed the spider bite on his arm.

"Didn't even feel it. But an hour later, I knew that I was ill." The article says that by the time he arrived to a hospital emergency room, "I was an hour away from death." The medical staff told him that the bite had caused a bacterial infection in the deeper layers of his arm's skin and tissues.

In an online letter to fans about Hanneman's 2011 medical issues, the band said recently that his recovery had been "touch-and-go." There was talk he would have to have his arm amputated, he was in a medically induced coma for a time and had several operations to remove dead and dying tissue from his arm. He also went through a long period of rehab to regain the strength in his arm.

It's unclear if his medical problems following the spider bite were related to his liver failure.

The guitarist co-founded the thrash metal band Slayer with fellow guitarist Kerry King in Huntington Park, Calif., and the group is considered a pioneer of metal music. The band entered mainstream popularity with their 1986 album Reign in Blood. Hanneman wrote two of the group's most popular songs from the album, Raining Blood and Angel of Death. Tom Araya plays bass and sings in the band.

Hanneman had recently begun writing songs with the band in anticipation of recording a new album later this year.

Considered a 'trailblazer'

Slayer was also planning an international tour, beginning June 4 in Warsaw, that was slated to end in Santiago in October, according to its website. There was no immediate word on the status of the tour.

Slayer, the thrash metal band from California, from second from left, Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman and Tom Araya. Hanneman, a founding member, died Thursday. Former drummer Dave Lombardo is on the left. (Courtesy of Slayer, Mark Seliger/Associated Press)

"The music industry has lost a true trailblazer, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, his bandmates and fans around the world who mourn his untimely passing," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, in a statement.

Robinson-Fitzgerald said it's believed the spider bite contributed to the failure of Hanneman's liver, but it is unclear whether an autopsy will be scheduled. No funeral arrangements have been made.

Reaction to Hanneman's death swept social media and comments on the group's Facebook page.

"Jeff Hanneman will always be a metal god," rocker Andrew W.K. posted on Twitter.

The tens of thousands of commenters on Facebook also expressed condolences.

"Truly sad news …. Thanx for the good times and the great music — it will live on forever and so will you," said one commenter.

With files from The Associated Press

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Xavier Dolan objects to plan for censorship of his video

Quebec director Xavier Dolan is at the centre of a storm of controversy over a music video he directed for French group Indochine.

The black-and-white video for College Boy shows a teen being attacked, at first with paper missiles, but later with punches and kicks, while other students stand by with blindfolds over their eyes as the harassment continues.

It concludes with a crucifixion scene in which the boy is hoisted on a cross and shot. When the police arrive, they too start shooting at the teenager on the cross, while his attackers feign innocence.

French telecom watchdog, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, is considering whether the video is too violent, with one board member saying she is very concerned about the content. Among its options if there are complaints about College Boy are limiting viewing of the video to after 10 p.m. and placing restrictions on whether the video can be viewed by people under age 16.

So far, no French stations have aired the video.

Xavier Dolan says censoring the video for College Boy is ridiculous. (CBC)

YouTube has put a warning on the video and, in some markets, does not show the entire violent sequence, instead switching to shots of the band playing.

Dolan told CBC News he finds the plan for censorship ridiculous, when young people see regular images of violence on TV screens and hip-hop videos with negative portrayals of women.

"I'm not surprised there is a reaction, I'm surprised we're talking about censorship because I think there is a crucial age and that is 11, 10, 13, 14, 15 – the teenage years, when things still have a strong impression on you," he said.

"This is the age you need to be educated on violence and the true consequences."

The 24-year-old Quebec filmmaker has drawn attention with films such as J'ai Tué Ma Mère (I Killed My Mother) and Laurence Anyways. The video sends an anti-bullying message and he says he wanted to illustrate how those who watch schoolyard attacks are complicit in bullying.

"I think there is an obvious message of non-violence, even though people are debating this – I don't know for what reason – in France," Dolan said.

Asked why he used such disturbing imagery to for an anti-bullying message, he said recent real-life cases of homosexual teens assaulted and killed by bullies show how violence can go too far.

"Is there really another way today in 2013 to make an impression on people so they will know if they do hurt other people they will feel the pain and the violence and how far will we go? We live in a society that allows this sort of extreme violence," he said.

Indochine lead singer Nicola Sirkis defended the video to French media, saying it was not made to shock anyone but to educate youth about the problem of bullying and harassment. The band, formed in 1981, is one of France's most high-profile alt-rock groups.

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Festival lauds MS documentary

Filmmakers walked away with 11 awards and a total of $89,000 on Friday as the Hot Docs film festival wrapped up in Toronto.

The big winners at the 20th edition of the all-documentary fest included director Jason DaSilva, whose When I Walk took the prize for best Canadian feature doc. The autobiographical film recounts DaSilva's diagnosis, at age 25, with a severe form of multiple sclerosis and his resulting struggle to adapt to life without the use of his legs. The film also played earlier this year at the Sundance festival.

The Hot Docs prize comes with $10,000.

"I hope this allows me to get the film out there even further," said DaSilva. "More than just me being a filmmaker, it's about raising awareness of MS and other disabilities. Through my film I hope to get the word out."

Best international feature went to Dragon Girls by Germany's Inigo Westmeier, which follows three young students at a famous kung fu academy in China.

Other winners included:

• Alphee of the Stars, directed by Hugo Latulippe (Special jury prize for a Canadian feature documentary).
• Cloudy Mountains, directed by Zhu Yu (Special jury prize for an international feature documentary).
• The Circle, directed by Bram Conjaerts (Best mid-length documentary).
• Notes on Blindness: Rainfall, directed by James Spinney (Best short documentary).

The festival concludes this weekend and will hand out a final audience award on Monday.

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Reese Witherspoon arrest video leaked

Amid actress Reese Witherspoon's latest bout of damage control over her recent disorderly conduct arrest, video of the heated incident with an Atlanta state trooper has emerged.

Georgia State Patrol said on Friday it would release the video after a copy of the footage was leaked by celebrity website TMZ overnight.

The video in question was captured by the dashboard camera of the state trooper who confronted Oscar-winning Walk the Line star and her Hollywood agent husband Jim Toth in the early hours of April 19 in Atlanta.

Reese Witherspoon, left, and husband James Toth are seen in this composite photo from the Atlanta Department of Corrections after the Oscar-winner was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge. (City of Atlanta Department of Corrections/Associated Press)

After stopping the couple's vehicle, the no-nonsense trooper administers a field sobriety test to Toth. In the video, the actress is seen repeatedly ignoring the officer's directive to remain in their vehicle and engages with him multiple times.

At one point, she declares "Do you know my name?" before adding "You're about to find out who I am."

After the incident, Witherspoon issued a public apology for her behaviour.

On Thursday, she appeared on ABC-TV's Good Morning America to apologize again and acknowledged that after having had too much to drink that night, she had said "all kinds of crazy things."

Also on Friday, a lawyer for the actress confirmed Witherspoon has pleaded no contest to the disorderly conduct charge and paid a $100 US fine.

Canadian singer Michael Bublé, who sings a duet with Witherspoon on his latest album To Be Loved, is among those defending the actress. Earlier this week, at an event in Los Angeles, Bublé said he "adores" Witherspoon and praised her response after the arrest.

"Everyone makes mistakes," he told ET Canada. "It's just a matter of, really, how you come back from them."

Reese Witherspoon is seen speaking to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, left, on Good Morning America on Thursday. (Ida Mae Astute/ABC/Associated Press) With files from The Associated Press

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Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman dies of liver failure after spider bite

Guitarist Jeff Hanneman, a founder of the U.S. heavy-metal band Slayer, has died at age 49 of liver failure after battling complications reportedly linked to a spider bite.

"Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM [Thursday] morning near his Southern California home," says a posting on the band's official website and Facebook page that gives cause of death as liver failure.

'Jeff Hanneman will always be a metal god.'—Rocker Andrew W.K.'s tweet

"Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest in Peace."

Slayer spokeswoman Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald said Hanneman died at a Los Angeles hospital with his wife by his side.

Hanneman had been slowly recovering from a spider bite in February 2011 that reportedly nearly cost him his arm.

Hanneman reportedly had contracted necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating disease, after the bite.

Bitten in hot tub by spider

In a late 2011 interview with Hanneman posted on the website Metal Injection and in other media, he said he was in a hot tub with a couple of beers when he noticed the spider bite on his arm.

"Didn't even feel it. But an hour later, I knew that I was ill." The article says that by the time he arrived to a hospital emergency room, "I was an hour away from death." The medical staff told him that the bite had caused a bacterial infection in the deeper layers of his arm's skin and tissues.

In an online letter to fans about Hanneman's 2011 medical issues, the band said recently that his recovery had been "touch-and-go." There was talk he would have to have his arm amputated, he was in a medically induced coma for a time and had several operations to remove dead and dying tissue from his arm. He also went through a long period of rehab to regain the strength in his arm.

It's unclear if his medical problems following the spider bite were related to his liver failure.

The guitarist co-founded the thrash metal band Slayer with fellow guitarist Kerry King in Huntington Park, Calif., and the group is considered a pioneer of metal music. The band entered mainstream popularity with their 1986 album Reign in Blood. Hanneman wrote two of the group's most popular songs from the album, Raining Blood and Angel of Death. Tom Araya plays bass and sings in the band.

Hanneman had recently begun writing songs with the band in anticipation of recording a new album later this year.

Considered a 'trailblazer'

Slayer was also planning an international tour, beginning June 4 in Warsaw, that was slated to end in Santiago in October, according to its website. There was no immediate word on the status of the tour.

Slayer, the thrash metal band from California, from second from left, Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman and Tom Araya. Hanneman, a founding member, died Thursday. Former drummer Dave Lombardo is on the left. (Courtesy of Slayer, Mark Seliger/Associated Press)

"The music industry has lost a true trailblazer, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, his bandmates and fans around the world who mourn his untimely passing," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, in a statement.

Robinson-Fitzgerald said it's believed the spider bite contributed to the failure of Hanneman's liver, but it is unclear whether an autopsy will be scheduled. No funeral arrangements have been made.

Reaction to Hanneman's death swept social media and comments on the group's Facebook page.

"Jeff Hanneman will always be a metal god," rocker Andrew W.K. posted on Twitter.

The tens of thousands of commenters on Facebook also expressed condolences.

"Truly sad news …. Thanx for the good times and the great music — it will live on forever and so will you," said one commenter.

With files from The Associated Press

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Xavier Dolan objects to plan for censorship of his video

Quebec director Xavier Dolan is at the centre of a storm of controversy over a music video he directed for French group Indochine.

The black-and-white video for College Boy shows a teen being attacked, at first with paper missiles, but later with punches and kicks, while other students stand by with blindfolds over their eyes as the harassment continues.

It concludes with a crucifixion scene in which the boy is hoisted on a cross and shot. When the police arrive, they too start shooting at the teenager on the cross, while his attackers feign innocence.

French telecom watchdog, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, is considering whether the video is too violent, with one board member saying she is very concerned about the content. Among its options if there are complaints about College Boy are limiting viewing of the video to after 10 p.m. and placing restrictions on whether the video can be viewed by people under age 16.

So far, no French stations have aired the video.

Xavier Dolan says censoring the video for College Boy is ridiculous. (CBC)

YouTube has put a warning on the video and, in some markets, does not show the entire violent sequence, instead switching to shots of the band playing.

Dolan told CBC News he finds the plan for censorship ridiculous, when young people see regular images of violence on TV screens and hip-hop videos with negative portrayals of women.

"I'm not surprised there is a reaction, I'm surprised we're talking about censorship because I think there is a crucial age and that is 11, 10, 13, 14, 15 – the teenage years, when things still have a strong impression on you," he said.

"This is the age you need to be educated on violence and the true consequences."

The 24-year-old Quebec filmmaker has drawn attention with films such as J'ai Tué Ma Mère (I Killed My Mother) and Laurence Anyways. The video sends an anti-bullying message and he says he wanted to illustrate how those who watch schoolyard attacks are complicit in bullying.

"I think there is an obvious message of non-violence, even though people are debating this – I don't know for what reason – in France," Dolan said.

Asked why he used such disturbing imagery to for an anti-bullying message, he said recent real-life cases of homosexual teens assaulted and killed by bullies show how violence can go too far.

"Is there really another way today in 2013 to make an impression on people so they will know if they do hurt other people they will feel the pain and the violence and how far will we go? We live in a society that allows this sort of extreme violence," he said.

Indochine lead singer Nicola Sirkis defended the video to French media, saying it was not made to shock anyone but to educate youth about the problem of bullying and harassment. The band, formed in 1981, is one of France's most high-profile alt-rock groups.

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'Always be ready,' Alan Doyle tells business audience

Musician and actor Alan Doyle had a simple message for St. John's Board of Trade members at their monthly luncheon Friday: always be ready.

"I learned the whole concept of readiness from a few people, like Russell Crowe," said Doyle. "The best actors in the world are the ones that are most prepared and I think that's true for most athletes and businesses."

Doyle said he and the other actors who played the Merry Men in Crowe's Hollywood blockbuster Robin Hood a few years back, got a chance to sing a shanty in the movie because he had a song prepared and ready to go as a scene was being shot.

Doyle, the frontman for Great Big Sea, has become a frequent collaborator on music and acting projects with the Academy Award-winning actor. The two met during one of the band's gigs in Toronto several years back.

Great Big Sea recently celebrated 20 years in the music industry.

Played music at university

Doyle, along with Sean McCann, Bob Hallett and former bandmate Darrell Power, were friends who started playing music together while they were students at Memorial University.

Their energetic blend of traditional Newfoundland and pop music landed them a record deal in the early 1990s. They remain a popular concert draw across North America and Europe.

"Something I learned from Sean [McCann] and Bob [Hallett], you do whatever it takes," said Doyle.

These days, he has his hand in several areas of the entertainment industry.

"I am about 80 per cent finished writing a book and I filmed a movie called Winter's Tale, just before Christmas [2012]."

'You only work with people.'— Alan Doyle, musician and actor

Doyle said he's learned a lot about how to build a successful business.

"Nobody works for you and you don't work for anybody," said Doyle. "You only work with people."

"It's one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned."

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Rolling Stones offer lower-priced tickets as tour kicks off

It appears that Rolling Stones fans have a price limit, with the cost of tickets purportedly dropping for concerts on the iconic rock band's 50 and Counting tour.

The band kicks off its latest concert series in Los Angeles on Friday, but the priciest tickets for the Staples Center show — which have a face value of up to $600 US per person — remained available for purchase online Thursday.

Some fans have been spreading news online of deals for the top-priced Stones tickets, after some ticket resellers reportedly reduced their prices for a few upcoming shows in California by as much as $200 US per ticket.

Meanwhile, the band's decision to offer $85 tickets for a general admission "Tongue Pit" area next to the stage — a trend adopted by many artists — has proved successful, selling out in many locations.

The instant sellout of the lower-priced tickets prompted the Stones to announce on Wednesday that they'd be offering more of them — with conditions.

The new batch of $85 tickets could land fans in the stage-side pit or another area of the arena. However, the number of new tickets available at each stop will be determined the day of the concert, after the band's staging and production is loaded in. Consequently, the seat locations will only be revealed when a buyer actually picks up his or her tickets the night of the show. The tickets must be bought in pairs.

Interested fans can register for a chance at the new batch of lower-priced tickets via the band's official website or Facebook page. The tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Rolling Stones, who celebrated their 50th anniversary as a band in 2012, have been blasted for the high prices of their shows. So far, the group has announced 17 concert stops across North America for the 50 and Counting tour, followed by three in the U.K., including a stop at the Glastonbury Festival.

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FILM REVIEW: Iron Man 3

When I was 12, if I had couple of dollars to rub together, I'd pedal off to the local convenience store for my latest superhero fix (yes, it was back in the days when they still sold comics.) I was always a sucker for crossovers: Avengers versus X-Men, Crisis of Infinite Earths, Secret Wars. A dozen heroes battling each other for the low, low price of 75-cents? Sold!

Flash forward to 2012 and a legion of grown-up geeks (like me) happily shelled out for the ultimate cinematic smash-up: The Avengers. It was the culmination of five years of corporate planning, pulling together strands from Iron Man, Thor and Captain America into a Marvel-ous mega-movie. Astoundingly, director Joss Whedon managed to pull it off and, in the process, broke box office records.

Now comes Iron Man 3, which takes place in a post-Avengers universe where New York isn't just the name of a city, it's an event. It's a place holder for the inexplicable, namely the hole in the sky that opened up over Manhattan and spewed out aliens in an epic battle.

But what do you after you've saved the world? For billionaire tech genius and Iron Man inventor Tony Stark, you dive back into your work. After a brief flashback to set up Stark's past sins, we find him back in the lab and churning out more new models than IKEA.

>Robert Downey Jr., appears as Iron Man and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts in a scene from Iron Man 3. (Disney/Marvel Studios/Associated Press)

As Tony tinkers with his suits, cracks are forming in his empire. A slick new titan of industry named Aldrich (Guy Pearce) catches the attention of Stark's partner, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Then, there's Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). The classic foe from the Iron Man comics has become a more politically inspired bogey man: like an ultimate Osama bin Laden, he interrupts prime-time TV to taunt the president.

When the Mandarin sets off a bomb in L.A., a bit of real world horror might interrupt your summer escapism, as echoes of the Boston bombing still reverberate. In the film's devastating attack, citizens are reduced to ash shadows on the wall. In the rubble lies Stark's affable head of security, Happy Hogan (played by earlier Iron Man director Jon Favreau). Horrified and humiliated, our hero dares the Mandarin to come and get him, setting in motion a series of events that truly tests Iron Man's mettle.

Director-writer Shane Black's approach to handling the Armoured Avenger as a solo act is to break him down to basics. Stark is reduced to buggy tech, a mysterious foe and little more than his wits plus what's available at the local home improvement shop.

Robert Downey Jr., left, poses with director Shane Black while promoting their film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. (Eric Gaillard/Reuters)

While IM3 doesn't do a proper job of explaining just why Stark didn't simply call on his superfriends ("Hey Banner, could you spare five minutes?"), it does pull back on Stark's charm offensive. Overclocking his brain, skipping sleep and struggling with PTSD, the character becomes human once again.

The pace is quick and the dialogue even faster, thanks to a change of staff behind the scenes, starting with Black taking over from Favreau. The high priest of buddy-cop flicks, Black is the screenwriter behind Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The latter is somewhat of a holy relic among buddy cop aficionados and for good reason: the 2005 film may have been too snide for the mainstream, but if you want to pinpoint where Downey Jr. found his voice again, start there.

Where Favreau had a way of keeping the action within realm of the believable, Black brings a sense of authenticity to the characters. Yes, this is still a Marvel movie with the requisite giant set pieces, evil super-soldiers glowing like atomic nightlights and more flying robot limbs than you'd see at a Voltron convention. But there's also a lack of preciousness in the way the film's characters relate. Watch how Stark and his buddy, military officer Jim Rhodes, pal around. The comedy is caustic: squint and the rebellious hothead with Col. Rhodes aren't far from Lethal Weapon's Riggs and Murtaugh.

CBC's Eli Glasner talks to Don Cheadle about Iron Man 3

With Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Black deconstructed Philip Marlowe-like detective stories. Here, amidst a golden age of big-screen superheroes, he gives us Iron Man Unplugged. There's more man than machine here (not that you'd know it from the trailers). Again and again, Stark is tested and -- more often than -- not he fails.

There's a pattern here: the set-up and the payoff. Black's plots rarely go where we expect and there's a massive red herring hiding in IM3. Credit goes to the filmmaker for having the guts to mess with comic book conventions. Still, although Black helps Tony Stark find his voice again, in the end the director is overwhelmed by the action -- one final sequence with Stark jumping between multiple suits feels more Super Mario than Iron Man.

Like Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, Iron Man 3 feels like the end. It's not that there couldn't be more instalments, it simply feels like everything's been said. Though the action takes a turn for the generic, Stark's character has been rebooted. Iron Man 3 doesn't tickle my comic-consuming inner child the way The Avengers did, but it's a fitting finale for the hero who made us believe.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Don Cheadle appears as James Rhodes in a scene from Iron Man 3. (Zade Rosenthal/Disney/Marvel Studios/Associated Press)

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Jay Baruchel tackles Sherlock Holmes onstage

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Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman dies of liver failure after spider bite

Guitarist Jeff Hanneman, a founder of the U.S. heavy-metal band Slayer, has died at age 49 of liver failure after battling complications reportedly linked to a spider bite.

"Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM [Thursday] morning near his Southern California home," says a posting on the band's official website and Facebook page that gives cause of death as liver failure.

'Jeff Hanneman will always be a metal god.'—Rocker Andrew W.K.'s tweet

"Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest in Peace."

Slayer spokeswoman Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald said Hanneman died at a Los Angeles hospital with his wife by his side.

Hanneman had been slowly recovering from a spider bite in February 2011 that reportedly nearly cost him his arm.

Hanneman reportedly had contracted necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating disease, after the bite.

Bitten in hot tub by spider

In a late 2011 interview with Hanneman posted on the website Metal Injection and in other media, he said he was in a hot tub with a couple of beers when he noticed the spider bite on his arm.

"Didn't even feel it. But an hour later, I knew that I was ill." The article says that by the time he arrived to a hospital emergency room, "I was an hour away from death." The medical staff told him that the bite had caused a bacterial infection in the deeper layers of his arm's skin and tissues.

In an online letter to fans about Hanneman's 2011 medical issues, the band said recently that his recovery had been "touch-and-go." There was talk he would have to have his arm amputated, he was in a medically induced coma for a time and had several operations to remove dead and dying tissue from his arm. He also went through a long period of rehab to regain the strength in his arm.

It's unclear if his medical problems following the spider bite were related to his liver failure.

The guitarist co-founded the thrash metal band Slayer with fellow guitarist Kerry King in Huntington Park, Calif., and the group is considered a pioneer of metal music. The band entered mainstream popularity with their 1986 album Reign in Blood. Hanneman wrote two of the group's most popular songs from the album, Raining Blood and Angel of Death.

Hanneman had recently begun writing songs with the band in anticipation of recording a new album later this year.

Other members of the group are:

• Tom Araya, bass and vocals.
• Dave Lombardo, drums.

Considered a 'trailblazer'

Slayer was also planning an international tour, beginning June 4 in Warsaw, that was slated to end in Santiago in October, according to its website. There was no immediate word on the status of the tour.

Slayer, the thrash metal band from California, from left, Dave Lombardo, Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman and Tom Araya. Hanneman, a founding member, died Thursday. (Courtesy of Slayer, Mark Seliger/Associated Press)

"The music industry has lost a true trailblazer, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, his bandmates and fans around the world who mourn his untimely passing," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, in a statement.

Robinson-Fitzgerald said it's believed the spider bite contributed to the failure of Hanneman's liver, but it is unclear whether an autopsy will be scheduled. No funeral arrangements have been made.

Reaction to Hanneman's death swept social media and comments on the group's Facebook page.

"Jeff Hanneman will always be a metal god," rocker Andrew W.K. posted on Twitter.

The tens of thousands of commenters on Facebook also expressed condolences.

"Truly sad news …. Thanx for the good times and the great music — it will live on forever and so will you," said one commenter.

With files from The Associated Press

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Chris Kelly of rap duo Kris Kross dies at 34

Chris Kelly, half of the 1990s kid rap duo Kris Kross who made one of the decade's most memorable songs with the frenetic Jump, died at an Atlanta hospital on Wednesday of an apparent drug overdose at his home, authorities said. He was 34.

"It appears it may have been a possible drug overdose," said Cpl. Kay Lester, a spokeswoman for the Fulton County police.

This, Lester said, is based on statements received at the scene as well as evidence turned up at Kelly's home in south Atlanta.

According to Lester, police were called to Kelly's home at around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was transported to the south campus of the Atlanta Medical Center.

Investigator Betty Honey of the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office said Kelly was pronounced dead at the hospital at around 5 p.m. Wednesday.

No official cause of death has been determined, pending an autopsy.

Kelly, known as "Mac Daddy," and Chris Smith, known as "Daddy Mac," were introduced to the music world in 1992 by music producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri after he discovered the pair in an Atlanta mall. The duo wore their clothes backwards as a gimmick, but they won over fans with their raps.

Their first, and by far most successful song, was Jump. The hit, off their multiplatinum 1992 debut album Totally Krossed Out, featured the two trading verses and rapping the refrain, the song's title. The duo had surprising maturity in their rap delivery, though the song was written by Dupri. It would become a No. 1 smash in the United States and globally, and one of the most popular of that year.

Their success led to instant fame: They toured with Michael Jackson, appeared on TV shows, and even had their own video game.

The group was never able to match the tremendous success of their first song, though they had other hits like Warm It Up, and Tonite's tha Night.

In 2009, after photos surfaced that showed him with bald spots on his head, there were rumours that he had cancer. But in an interview posted on YouTube by Straight from the A TV, he said he suffered from alopecia, a condition in which people lose their hair.

"My health is good, I just got alopecia, I don't have cancer, not other sort of diseases," he said.

Earlier this year, the group performed together to celebrate the anniversary of Durpri's label, So So Def.

Watch the video for Kriss Kross's 1992 smash, Jump:

I Missed The Bus was another hit single from their 1992 album Totally Krossed Out. Watch the video below:

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Spice Girls musical Viva Forever to close in June

Viva Forever? Not as it turns out. Producers announced Thursday that the Spice Girls musical will close at London's Piccadilly Theater June 29 after a disappointing six-month run.

Producer Judy Craymer said despite tweaks since the show opened in December, "we just can't make it work."

Written by Absolutely Fabulous comedian Jennifer Saunders, the show is a modern-day tale of female friendship and mother-daughter bonds set to songs by the 1990s "Girl Power" icons.

It set out to take a timely satirical axe to our information-saturated age of Twitter and TV talent shows, but the critics were overwhelmingly hostile.

The Independent newspaper's Paul Taylor called the show "lacking in any truly original or challenging spark," while the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer found it "tawdry, lazy and unedifying."

Others felt that aside from a few hits — Wannabe, Stop, Who Do You Think You Are? — the Spice Girls' catalog was not strong enough to support a two-and-a-half hour show.

The five-member group, known for its brash attitude and "Cool Britannia" branding, shot to fame in 1996 and sold 75 million records around the world. The Spice Girls still have many fans, but, 15 years later they were not enough to sustain a West End show.

Craymer, who produced the mega-hit ABBA musical Mamma Mia" said it was "with a heavy heart that we've had to make this very difficult decision to post closing notices for this original show."

"The show has evolved since we first opened and is now brighter, lighter and funnier, but despite the wonderful audiences and extremely positive feedback we just can't make it work," she said.

Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton tweeted that she was "totally gutted" to learn the show was closing.

In a statement, the Spice Girls thanked the show's cast and their fans.

"Although Viva Forever won't continue in the West End we are thrilled that the thousands of people who came to the show had as much fun as we did," the statement said.

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George Jones funeral draws stars, fans, friends

Thousands of fans will join former first lady Laura Bush and top musicians to pay final respects to country legend George Jones at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville today.

The influential country star died last Friday at the age of 81.

The late-morning funeral will include speeches from Bush and Jones' friends and colleagues such as Barbara Mandrell and Kenny Chesney. Performers will include country stars like Randy Travis, Charlie Daniels, Tanya Tucker and Brad Paisley.

A hard-living Texan who battled addiction and financial troubles, Jones was celebrated for his precise baritone and No. 1 hits that spanned five decades, including the heartbreaking, Grammy-winning ballad He Stopped Loving Her Today.

He inspired many aspiring country singers as well as singers in other genres, including Frank Sinatra, Pete Townshend and James Taylor.

A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1956 and inducted into the U.S. Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992, Jones was celebrated during the annual Kennedy Center Honors in 2008.

In 2012, he announced a final tour that he said would be his grand farewell to country music.

With files from The Associated Press

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